LAS VEGAS – Wireless Speaker and Audio (WiSA) technology made gains at International CES, where Klipsch and Enclave Audio revealed plans to ship their first WiSA-certified active speakers.
The Klipsch and Enclave products will join certified speakers available from Bang & Olufsen and Sharp’s WiSA-certified Blu-ray/SACD player with high-resolution music decoders.
For its part, Fostex plans WiSA-compliant broadcast-monitor speakers for shipment later in the year, the association said. They feature rechargeable battery packs for rugged pro-audio environments.
Also on display was XTZ Sound USA’s Cinema Series wireless 5.1 system, originally shown at the CEDIA Expo.
WiSA technology is promoted as delivering interference-free, wired-quality wireless audio in the 5.2-5.8GHz U-NII band to stereo and home theater speakers in a room up to 9 by 9 meters (29.5 by 29.5 feet). WiSA technology delivers up to 7.1 channels of 24-bit/96kHz uncompressed audio.
The technology is promoted as eliminating cable clutter, enabling more flexible placement of speakers by eliminating speaker-cable runs, and overcoming the sound quality, interference, latency and cost challenges associated with other wireless technologies designed for multichannel home theaters, WiSA has said.
Klipsch plans third-quarter availability of its Reference Premiere Wireless Home Theater speakers, consisting of a tower speaker, monitor speaker, center speaker and subwoofer. The speakers receive audio wirelessly from a distribution hub that connects to up to audio sources via HDMI, digital optical, and analog inputs. The hub also features stereo Bluetooth with aptX. The price for a 5.1 system will be around $5,000.
For its part, startup Enclave Audio plans May availability of a 5.1 home-theater speaker system and hub through its web store. It’s positioned as a mass-market system said to deliver high-end sound at an affordable price.
Klipsch also showed five retro-look speakers with WiSA wireless in concept form. They match the styling of the company’s Heritage line but with technology and materials that match the Klipsch Stadium wireless speaker.
